Missouri woman first to be charged under new cyberbullying law

A Missouri woman is the first person to be charged with a felony under the state’s new cyberbullying law. The 40-year old woman is accused of posting a teen girl’s photo, email address and cell phone number on the “Casual Encounters” section of Craigslist. The section is meant for adults looking for quick and anonymous sex. When the girl began being flooded with calls, texts and emails from strange men, she called police.

Authorities say the girl’s mother is dating the woman’s ex-husband and the two older women were arguing. This they say prompted the woman to post on Craigslist. The woman’s attorney brushed off the charges and said it was little more than a “practical joke” and that the charges should be dropped.

Missouri enacted the law after the death of 13-year old Megan Meier. A neighbor of Meier, Lori Drew, angry because Meier and her daughter had had a falling out, used her MySpace account to bully the teen, going so far as to create a fake online profile of a teen boy that entered an online relationship with the girl, then abruptly broke up with her sending her a message that “the world would be a better place without you.” After receiving that message, Megan Meier killed herself.

Read [CNet]